The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for providing an exciting interactive audio visual musical experience which may readily be enjoyed by a wide range of users having a range of experience from little or none to those having extensive musical training. More particularly, the present invention relates to an interactive electronic drum and music training method which are suitable for use in a home video game or a coin-operated environment such as an arcade to simulate the excitement of a live jam session for a user.
A wide variety of learning and teaching aids for musical instruments have been known for some time. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,030 xe2x80x9cVisual Indication of Temporal Accuracy of Compared Percussive Transmit Signals,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,742 xe2x80x9cTempo Monitoring Device and Associated Method,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,786 xe2x80x9cMethod and Apparatus for Controlling Scale Practice of Electronic Musical Instrument,xe2x80x9d and U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,231 xe2x80x9cApparatus for Electronic Teaching Accompaniment and Practice of Music, Which is Independent of a Played Musical Instrument.xe2x80x9d These and like approaches may suffer from a variety of drawbacks. By way of example, they may only be used by experienced musicians or those with a significant knowledge of music theory. Alternatively, they may not be readily intuitive in their operation, or they are not designed to be fun and provide a positive experience which helps keep the user eager to learn.
For years, electronic drum pads have been available through music stores. Many patents describe a variety of aspects of such drum pads. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,781,097, 4,947,725, 4,932,303, 5,009,146, 5,177,313 and 5,233,658, all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. A first time user would have to purchase these relatively expensive pads and determine at a later date if he or she enjoyed playing drum pads, what is involved, and what the final outcome of their efforts would produce. After buying the pads, the user was typically left without guidance as to how to play them. Thus, the novice user did not have any formatted learning structure or any positive feedback to encourage continued learning. Further, typical musical instruction exercises are typically renowned for being dull and repetitious.
Further, a variety of coin-operated audio visual musical devices are presently known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,710 xe2x80x9cCoin-Operated Recording Machine,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,903 xe2x80x9cAudio Video Entertainment Module,xe2x80x9d and U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,673 xe2x80x9cApparatus for a Video Recording Booth.xe2x80x9d Additionally, a wide variety of action and adventure type video arcade games, such as auto race and various war or battle games in which the player fights against the machine or another player are known. None of these approaches provides a musical learning experience that is like a game or adventure encouraging a positive learning experience of a musical skill.
Standard video arcade games are very popular but often are violent in nature and involve a complex combination of button activations and joystick movements that may be daunting to the novice. As a result, a need exists for a non-violent game which provides a positive experience for the novice and the expert alike, and which is exciting enough to replace the standard beat-em-up, shoot-em-up fare that many adults find unacceptable.
The present invention addresses needs, such as those outlined above, by providing a unique combination of features and suitably packaging them so they may be appropriately enjoyed in an arcade setting. Home use can also be envisioned.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a money operated electronic drum system is provided in conjunction with audio-visual inputs to both help a user learn to jam on or play the drums and to enjoy the jamming experience. In this context, xe2x80x9cjammingxe2x80x9d may suitably be defined as free playing over music. That is to say not reading music, but rather intuitively and naturally playing and reacting to create music as the music proceeds. For example, a drum player may create suitable drum beats to match accompanying instruments such as a guitar or keyboard.
In one aspect, the present invention provides an interactive series of menus to guide a user to select a desired mode of operation. A series of cuing LEDs or other light indicia on or associated with the drum pads, or alternatively a video representation on a display may guide the user in the correct sequence and striking of the drum pads, and a control system controlling audio and video devices will provide appropriate feedback to both encourage the user and to make the experience enjoyable.
In one mode of the present invention, the user chooses to play along with his or her favorite type of music with the system including a source of music, such as a compact disk (xe2x80x9cCDxe2x80x9d) player which may be of a jukebox format, a tape player, a radio or the like. In another mode of operation, the user tries to play along with drum progression which increase in difficulty. The control system monitors and scores the user""s play, and also provides feedback to encourage the user.
Other features and advantages of the present invention are described further below and will be readily apparent by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.